"The village of Ste. Genevieve captures an early and remarkable moment in the history of our state and nation," said Blunt. "By establishing Ste. Genevieve as a National Historic Park, more visitors will be able to experience, firsthand, day-to-day life in French colonial America. I'm grateful to the generations of people in the Ste. Genevieve community who have worked to preserve this national treasure, and happy to see this legislation signed into law."
"As the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi, Ste. Genevieve is not only a treasure to us here in Southeast Missouri, but also part of our Missouri heritage and early American identity," said Congressman Smith. "It was an honor to get the Ste. Genevieve National Historic Park Establishment Act passed through the U.S. House earlier this year, and with this now becoming law, we ensure the rest of America can enjoy the rich cultural heritage of Ste. Gen and the unique history of this town. Because of the efforts of the residents of Ste. Gen and the many elected officials who came before me and Senator Blunt, the history of this area will now be preserved for many generations to come. It is a great honor to represent the folks of Ste. Genevieve, and working with them on this important designation has been a true privilege and something I have focused on since entering office. Thanks to all of their tireless hard work, we are going to see the fruits of our labor as this finally becomes law."
